Prepping for a Wizard's Duel! (fun/surprising combos!)

[Aaedimus]

Hey everyone! Here's a fun little exercise, (it is practical, but I'm posting it here because I thought it would be fun to see what kind of things people came up with)

it's possible my wizard will end up being in a duel with an archmage (a custom archmage who has a grudge is specifically preparing spells to kill me while we participate in a Triwizard type tournament), so only rely on him having access to all 9 levels of spells), and I wanted to think up some fun ways to prepare for the battle ahead (the group may or may not be able to help). We are kitted out and have been playing from Lvl 1 for about a year and a half, so we are strong but our challenges are always insane too!

About Ben (me):
Lvl 15 Forest Gnome Wizard
School of Invention(UA)
Str: 8
Dex: 16
Con: 16
Int: 22
Wis:10
Cha: 8
Feats:
Resilient Con
Fade Away
Shield Training
Attuned:
Stone of True Sight
Staff of Power
magic Studded Leather(+1 to AC, Spell DC, and all Saves, +2 AC when concentrating)
Additional magical items I own:
Cape of Montebank
Portable hole (I built a tiny gnome workshop in it)
2 bags of holding (one empty, one containing a simulacrum)
Decanter of endless water
Boots of Elvenkind
rings of swimming and water walking
Pole of extending
Duplicitous Manuscript(Not attuned)
Family Spellbook(not attuned)
Astromancy Archive(Not Attuned)

total base AC = 18(20 when concentrating)
I generally have lvl 5 Aid with 21 inspiring leadership temp HP and deathward at all times.

My familiar has slowly been upgraded to a lvl 3 cleric sidekick (a product of being an invention Wizard) and is attuned to a ring of spell storing and a wand of magic missiles.

I have had a lvl 12 simulacrum of myself stored in a bag of holding (with sequester) for a while just in case as well, and I've been thinking about making a homunculus...

---

The last time we faced off I blinded the wizard, then he used TimeStop to help flee, so we know he has lvl 9 spells and he specifically said he's gonna try to kill us. Since it's like a Triwizard tournament, he might even convince another competitor to team up with him.

We're in a Wizard's school, so if I don't have a spell I can probably find it. Also, teammates: Sorcerer, Cleric, Paladin (mentioned for ring of Spell Storing ideas. I already ride a greater steed Pegasus).

What spells should I prepare?

what are some options for contingency?

What are some options for the ring of spell storing?

What are some good combos? I can prepare?

[kaervaak]

The key to winning a mage duel is initiative! If you can go first you'll probably win. Gift of alacrity is a great booster for this.

Your ring of spell storing should have counterspell in it, giving you an uncounterable counterspell.

Contingency: Greater invisibility when you are targeted by a spell is fantastic. Many times this will cause the spell to fail.

Feeblemind is the ultimate mage killer. If that lands, the fight is over. Make sure you cast mental fortress on yourself the day before the fight to make sure this doesn't

Mental prison is another mage duel winner. You land that and the opponent is blinded, deafened, and restrained.

[Temperjoke]

Some ideas:

"Allies" - spells that can summon other things to attack your opponent that don't require concentration will do wonders for you. Especially if they can interfere with your opponent's concentration, or just force them to spend their actions on defense. Every time they have to defend against your summoning, that's less time attacking you directly.

"Concentration is valuable" - You can only concentrate on one spell at a time, so pick it carefully. Animate Objects can be used offensively, if you order your objects to attack, or defensively, if you order them to position themselves in between you and your opponent. Telekinesis can be used to move all kinds of stuff, including your opponent.

"Speed is key" - This goes both ways, you need to be faster than your opponent, but that can also be accomplished by slowing your opponent down, either directly (Slow spell for example) or indirectly, by increasing the amount of obstacles and difficulties your opponent has to deal with. Barriers, summons, all create problems. Time Stop can be a good option to give yourself a headstart as well, since it gives you several turns to cast spells and set things up.

[sithlordnergal]

Important question, do you have Globe of Invulnerability as a spell you know and can upcast? If so, use your 8th level slot on Globe of Invulnerability, then move away from the enemy wizard and hit them from afar with your spells. Due to the wording, you'll be immune to all spells that are 7th level or lower, even if they're upcasted. It also provides protection to your familiar, and you can still cast spells to hit the Wizard due to the wording.

[Keravath]

Important question, do you have Globe of Invulnerability as a spell you know and can upcast? If so, use your 8th level slot on Globe of Invulnerability, then move away from the enemy wizard and hit them from afar with your spells. Due to the wording, you'll be immune to all spells that are 7th level or lower, even if they're upcasted. It also provides protection to your familiar, and you can still cast spells to hit the Wizard due to the wording.

Unfortunately this doesn't work quite as planned.

"An immobile, faintly shimmering barrier springs into existence in a 10-foot radius around you and remains for the duration."

The globe is immobile. In one game we played we grappled the wizard out of the globe to make them vulnerable.

[kingcheesepants]

Globe of invulnerability is great for wizard duels as it negates counterspell and anything else 6th level or lower (or even higher if you upcast) though as mentioned it has a big disadvantage in that it can't move and thus someone can easily move up to you and hit you with whatever they want. Get some method of preventing people from closing the distance though and it's great.

A combo I've used to great effect (though it's extremely cheesy) is Glyph of Warding Private Sanctum (teleportation block/planar travel block), Wall of Force, Sickening Radiance. All set to trigger on on area of your choosing when you say a command word. So the combat would go like this. Turn 1 lay out your portable hole and say the command word. Turn 2 take out your lounge chair and watch as your opponent dies or sickening radiance and cannot escape. If you can get Dark Star instead of (on in addition to) Sickening Radiance that might be good since the radiance doesn't do anything on a save and can be blocked by Globe of Invulnerability. Also note that not all DMs will allow Glyph of Warding through the portable hole so ask if it's possible and if not then you can make a demiplane to do the trap setup (the trigger would be a creature other than yourself appears in the demiplane) and then plane shift the enemy there. Oh also have a bunch of glyphs of Counterspell set up so that the guy can't dispel or antimagic field the place.

I don't know how you have a level 12 simulacrum of yourself (since it's a spell not picked up till 13) but you should probably get rid of it and get an updated simulacrum. This will double the number of concentration effects you can have up at once and it's just better to have a level 15 ally instead of a level 12 ally.

Resilient Sphere is a useful contingency spell, have it set to trigger when you reach a certain amount of damage and then you can use the time it buys you to heal or do whatever you need to.

The best spells to put in a ring of storing are concentration spells that you might want to use but don't normally have the concentration for. Things like Greater Invisibility or a wall.

Back in the day there were various spells that would allow you to capture the enemies soul and prevent them from going to a clone body or being true rez'd but I don't know of any way of doing that anymore so you'll just have to consign yourself to the fact that you'll have to keep killing this guy till he stops bothering you. Also make sure to prepare your own clones and such so that if he kills you while you're eating dinner or whatever you can still come back and continue your feud for all of eternity.

[sithlordnergal]

Unfortunately this doesn't work quite as planned.

"An immobile, faintly shimmering barrier springs into existence in a 10-foot radius around you and remains for the duration."

The globe is immobile. In one game we played we grappled the wizard out of the globe to make them vulnerable.

Ohh, I missed that part. Thaaat said, there is a level 3 Cleric that the player has as an ally/familiar. They're fighting a Wizard, which means that ally/familiar can, technically, try to grapple the enemy wizard and hold them outside of the Globe while benefitting from said Globe. As long as the wizard doesn't break the grapple, those two are fine.

[Sandeman]

How did you get 22 Int?

[ff7hero]

How did you get 22 Int?

Probably the Tome of +2 Intelligence.

[Tanarii]

You biggest threat is Power Word Kill. You've only got 107 hit points, so it'll only take 7 points of damage and then you're dead.

One important question: how does your DM rule counterspell? Do you know what's being cast or are you defending blindly?